Maury Hills Church
Elders Music and Worship
Jesus said that Maury Hills and Russ Adcox are NOT Christians
but ANTI Christians because God's Spirit put His WORD
(Regulative Principle) into the MOUTH of Jesus for the last
time. A Christian assembly is built upon the Apostles and
Prophets which defines the PLACE OF REST AND EDUCATION both
inclusively and exclusively.
As antithesis to the Babylonian Mother of Harlots (Revelation
17), The CREATOR God provided:
No DAY OF WORSHIP beyond the Holy Convocation as READING
Scripture.
There is no example of anyone in Scripture said to worship by
preaching, listening, singing, playing instruments, acting, or
PAY FOR PLAY.
There is not a single Command, Example or Inference for SINGING
with or without instruments for the assembly.
Both Synagogue or Ekklesia or SCHOOLS OF CHRIST and anything
beyond READ or SPEAK that which is written for our learning is a
CULT. There is no TITHING nor Law of Giving for STAFF who are
not SENT as the way to PREACH the GOSPEL and not a word more or
less.
Jesus said that those who SPEAK His WORD will be despised and
hated: they will never get to put on a "worship" show was always
the mark of effeminate acappella worship minister
Effeminate Worship Leader
Feminism, egalitarianism, and
even complementarianism are all simply new versions of
androgynism—a doctrine at the heart of pagan religions, which
images their denial of the creator/creature distinction.
Worship.Androgyny.The.Pagan.Sexual.Ideal.html
Among pagans, words
were not for information but for controlling the forces of the universe. If you had "charisma"
which according to H.B.
Parkes, possessed
irrational, emotional or
sexual abnormalities.
-Plato
Laws 10 [885d] that before threatening
us harshly, you should first try to convince and teach
us, by producing adequate proofs, that gods exist, and
that they are too good to be wheedled by gifts and
turned aside from justice. For as it is, this and
such as this is the account of them we hear from those
who are reputed the best of poets -[poiētōn], orators[rhētorōn], seers -[manteōn], oida],
priests [hiereōn], and
thousands upon thousands of others; and
consequently most of us,
instead
of seeking to avoid wrong-doing,
do
the wrong and then try to make it good.
-manti^s pl. mantides
Suid.s.v. Sibulla:—
diviner, seer, prophet,. of Apollo and
Cassandra, Id.Ag.1275;
of the Pythian priestess, II. a kind of
grasshopper, the praying mantis, Mantis
religiosa
-10.[909a] shall hold
intercourse with them, save only those who
take part in the nocturnal assembly, and
they shall company with them to minister
to their souls' salvation by admonition;
and when the period of their incarceration has
expired, if any of them seems to be reformed,
he shall dwell with those who are reformed,
but if not, and if he be convicted again on a
like charge, he shall be punished by
death. But as to all those who have become
like ravening beasts, and who,
besides holding that the gods are negligent
[909b]
or open
to bribes, despise men, charming
the souls of many of the living, and claiming
that they charm the souls of the dead,
and promising to persuade
the gods by bewitching them, as
it were, with sacrifices, prayers
and incantations,1 and who try thus
to wreck utterly not only individuals, but
whole families [Oikia household]
and States for the sake of money
The Greek PARASITE
specificially identifies anyone selling themselves as part
of a gods helpers.
ANATHEMA rests on anyone or thing DEDICATED
to enhance the work of a god: they cannot be redeemed and
must be burned
Rick.Atchley.Anathema.and.Musical.Worship.html
PROOF ONE: WHY
RUSS ADCOX AND THE POST-BIBLICAL THEOLOGIANS CANNOT BE
CHRISTIANS.
Jesus
defined those who speak their own words as the Sons of
the Devil:
John 7:18 He that speaketh
of himself seeketh his own glory:
but he
that seeketh his glory that sent him, the
same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge
of you:
but he that sent
me is true;
and I SPEAK
to the world those things which I have HEARD of
him.
John 8:27 They understood not that he spake to them of
the Father.
John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them,
When ye have
lifted up the Son of man,
then shall ye know
that I am he,
and that I do
nothing of myself;
but as my Father
hath taught me,
I speak these
things.
John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me:
the Father hath
not left me alone;
for I DO
always those things that PLEASE him.
John 8:30 As he spake these WORDS, many believed on him.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed
on him,
IF ye continue in
my WORD, THEN are ye my disciples
indeed;
DO is rank legalism whereas everyone is to be silent so that we
might ALL come to a knowledge of THE TRUTH
John
8:38 I SPEAK that
which I have seen with my Father:
and ye DO that which ye have seen
with your father.
Devil
Do: poiētai 4.
after Hom., of
Poets, compose, write, p. dithurambon, epea, Hdt.1.23,
4.14;
“p. theogoniēn
Epos joined with muthos,
1. song or lay accompanied by
music, 8.91,17.519.
2. fiction (opp. logos, historic
truth), THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE
Hdt. 1.23 Periander,
who disclosed the oracle's answer to Thrasybulus,
was the son of Cypselus, and sovereign of Corinth.
The Corinthians say (and the Lesbians agree) that
the most marvellous thing [Lying Wonders]
that happened to him in his life was the landing on
Taenarus
of Arion of Methymna,
brought there by a dolphin. This Arion was a
lyre-player second to none in that age; he was
the first man whom we know to compose and name the
dithyramb1
which he afterwards taught at Corinth.
Devil Do:
LATIN: făcĭo
,
to make in all
senses, to do, perform,
accomplish, prepare, produce,
bring to pass, cause, effect,
create, commit, perpetrate,
form, fashion, operor Lying
Wonder, “poëma,” to
compose, id.
Pis. 29, 70: “carmina,”
Juv. 7,
28: “versus,” id. 7,
38: “sermonem,”
Cic.
Fam. 9, 8, 1; cf. “litteram,” id. Ac. 2, 2, 6:
ludos, to celebrate, exhibit, admirationem alicujus rei alicui,” to
excite [the Laded Burden],
Devil Do: carmen
I.a tune,
song; poem, verse; an oracular response,
a prophecy; a form of incantation
(cf.: cano, cantus, and canto). note,
sound, both vocal and instrumental “also
versus,
numeri,
modi):
carmen
tuba
ista
peregit
( = sonus),”
Enn. Ann. 508 Vahl.: “carmine
vocali
clarus
citharāque Philammon,”
Ov. M. 11, 317;
cf. “vocum,”
id. ib. 12, 157:
“per
me
(sc. Apollinem) concordant
carmina
nervis
“barbaricum,”
id. M. 11, 163.—With
allusion to playing on the cithara: The Moher o
Harlots in John 17 “Carminibus Circe socios mutavit Ulixi,
Devil
Do: Commercium
sermonis,”
7 In
mercant. lang., to
practise, exercise,
follow any trade or
profession: 8. In relig.
lang., like the Gr. rhezein,
to perform or celebrate
a religious rite; to
offer sacrifice, make
an offering, to
sacrifice:
Devil Do: Mousa II. mousa,
as Appellat., music, song, “m. stugera” A.Eu.308
(anap.); “euphamos” Id.Supp.695
“Kanakhan
.Clanging Brass
Theias as many as made them
hope by divinations, Madness caused by
Ritual
worship as divine,
“Puthagoran [Of
the Cosmos, the Ecumenical, Kingdom of the Devil."
Antiluron mousas”
S.Tr.643
(lyr.); PLAYING THE LYRE
“Aiakō
moisan
pherein”I. bear or carry
a load, A Laded Burden |
Revelation 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his
vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome
and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark
of the beast, and upon them which worshipped
his image.
2]
et abiit primus et effudit fialam suam in terram et factum est vulnus saevum ac pessimum in homines qui habent caracterem bestiae et eos qui adoraverunt imaginem eius
THE MARK OF THE BEAST
kharag-ma
kha^,
atos,
to,
(kharassō)
3. metaph., mark, stamp, character, “to
tēs
monados
sēmantikon
kh.”
T
sēman-tikos
,
ē,
on,
A.significant,
opp. “
asēmos,
onoma
esti
phōnē
s.
kata
sunthēkēn
aneu
khronou”
Arist.Int.16a19; “
rhēma
. . phōnē
sunthetē
s.
meta
khronou”
Id.Po.1457a14;
“
logos
. . esti
phōnē
s.
kata
sunthēkēn”
Id.Int.16b26, cf.
Stoic.2.48: c.
gen., “
s.
hugieias”
Arist.Top.106b36;
“
s.
pasēs
kakias”
D.S.3.4;
s.
orē
mountains
giving signs of the weather,
Thphr.Sign.51;
s.
parōtidōn
indicative of mumps,
Gal.17(1).405;
-ka
significant symptoms,
Hp.Praec.11.
Adv. “
-kōs”
Arist.Top.106b37:
c.gen.,
M.Ant.10.7:
Sup. “
-ōtata”
Longin.31.1.
sēmeion ,
to,
Ion.
sēmēion
, Dor.
sa_mēion
2.
sign from the gods, omen,
S.OC94;
“
ta
apo
tōn
theōn
s.
genomena”
Antipho 5.81,
cf.
Pl.Phdr. 244c,
Ap.40b,
X.Cyr.1.6.1;
wonder, portent,
LXX Ex.4.8,
al.; “
s.
kai
terata”
Plb.3.112.8,
Ev.Matt.24.24,
Ev.Jo.4.48,
cf.
IPEl.c.,
D.S.17.114;
“
phobēthra
kai
s.
ap'
ouranou”
Ev.Luc.21.11;
esp. of
the constellations, regarded as
signs,
“
duetai
sēmeia”
E.Rh.529
(lyr.), cf.
Ion 1157.
signal for battle, ta
s.
ērthē,
katespasthē,
Th.1.49,
63, etc.;
kathairein
to
s.
to take
it down, strike the
flag, as a
sign
of
dissolving an assembly, And.1.36;
to
tēs
ekklēsias
s.
Ar.Th.278;
8. watchword, war-cry,
Plb.5.69.8;
“
apo
s.
henos
epistrephein
tas
naus”
Th.2.90, cf.
X.HG6.2.28.
2. n Prosody and Music,
unit of time,
THE IMAGE
OF THE BEAST:
Imāgo , ĭnis,
f. cf. imitor, I.an imitation, copy
of a thing, Juv. 7, 29:
“hoc tibi sub nostra breve carmen imagine vivat,
I. Transf., a
reverberation of sound, an echo
(mostly poet.): “(mellaria facere oportet) potissimum ubi non resonent imagines,” Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 12:
“concava pulsu Saxa sonant, vocisque offensa resultat imago,” Verg. G. 4,
50; cf. Sil. 14, 365: “alternae deceptus imagine vocis: Huc coëamus ait ... Coëamus retulit Echo,” Ov. M. 3, 385:
“c
“hoc
tibi
sub
nostra
breve
carmen
imagine
vivat,”
Mart. 9, 1:
dulcis
, I. Trop., agreeable, delightful,
pleasant, charming, soft, flattering.
II. Trop., agreeable,
delightful, pleasant, charming, soft,
flattering.
THE BEAST COMING TO A CHURCH
NEAR YOU.
bestĭa
, ae, f. perh. akin to fera and to belua,
2 As a term of
reproach (cf. belua and our beast): “mala
tu
es
bestia,”
Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 21;
id. Poen. 5, 5, 13.—And,
humorously, of the odor of the armpits (cf. ala and caper),
Cat. 69, 8.—
mark of CAPPELLA
II Transf.,
as a constellation, the wotf, Vitr. 9, 4 (7)
cănis
(cănes
, Plaut. Men. 5, 1, 18;
id. Trin. 1, 2, 133;
I. As a term of reproach, to denote,
a. A shameless,
vile person,
Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 40;
Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 33
Donat. ad loc.;
Hor. Epod. 6, 1;
cf.
id. S. 2, 2, 56;
Petr. 74, 9;
Suet. Vesp. 13.
—
a. Tergeminus, i. e.
Cerberus.
Ov. A. A. 3, 322;
id. Tr. 4, 7, 16;
“
called
also
viperius,”
id. Am. 3, 12, 26:
“
Tartareus,”
Sen. Herc. Fur. 649:
“
triformis,”
id. Herc. Oet. 1202:
Echidnaea.
Ov. M. 7, 409;
cf.: “
infernae
canes,”
Hor. S. 1, 8, 35;
Verg. A. 6, 257;
Luc. 6, 733.
—
b. Semidei canes, Anubis, Luc. 8, 832.—
D. A Cynic philosopher: “Diogenes
cum
choro
canum
suorum,”
ekhidn-a
,
hē,
(
ekhis)
A.viper,
Hdt.3.108,
S.Tr.771,
Pl.Smp.218a,
etc.; prob. of a
constrictor snake, Act.Ap.28.3: metaph., of a
treacherous wife or friend,
A.Ch.249,
S.Ant.531;
himatismenē
e.,
of woman,
Secund.Sent.8;
gennēmata
ekhidnōn
brood
of vipers, term of reproach, in
Ev.Matt.3.7.
Paul said that worship was IN THE SPIRIT as a PLACE: this was
giving attendance to the Word only and would PREVENT the Dogs
or Catamites (elders as Wolves) from seeking whom he might
DEVOUR (a double entendre)
THE BEAST IN GREEK
thērion , to (in form Dim. of thēr), A. wild animal, esp. of
such as are hunted, mala gar mega thērion ēen, of a stag, Od.10.171,
180
(never in Il.); in Trag.
only in Satyric drama
Sikinnis
sikinn-i^s
si^,
or siki_nis
(E.Cyc.37),
idos,
A. “Sikinnin”
D.H.7.72:—Sicinnis, a
dance of Satyrs used in the Satyric drama,
S.Fr.772,
E. l.c., D.H.
l.c., Luc.Salt.22:
named from its inventor Sicinnus, Ath.1.20e, cf. Scamon 1; or from Sicinnis,
a nymph of Cybele, although originally
danced in honour of Sabazios,
Arr.Fr.106J.— Also
written Sikinnon
, to/, Suid.; Sikinna
,
Sa^bazios
, ho,
(Sabos)
a Phrygian deity, whose mysteries resembled the teletai
of Dionysus, Thphr.Char.27.8
(but Sabadion
[acc.] ib.16.4,
cf. Dessau Inscr.Lat.Sel.2189),
Nymphis 11; hence
afterwards taken as a name of Dionysus himself, Ar.V.9,
Av.875,
Lys.388;
A.“theō
Sabaziō
pagkoiranō”
CIG3791 (Bithynia),
cf. IG12(5).27
(Sicinus); “Di
Sabaziō”
The Jew's Covenant with Death and Hell was called
Sabazianism
Cybele or Kubebes: CII.
Kubêbês.
The ‘Great Mother’ goddess of the Phrygians worshipped at Pessinus, the mêtêr Dindumênê of i. 80. 1.
For the Anatolian ‘Great Mother’ cf. App. I. 2, Frazer, G. B.
iv, Bk. II, Attis, &c.; Ramsay, in Hastings' Bible
Dictionary, extra vol., p. 120 f. The Atys myth which involved her cult is
connected with Sardis by H.'s story of the son of Croesus (i. 34. 2 n.). The Great Mother was worshipped at Athens in the days of Sophocles (Phil. 391), and identified by the Greeks with Rhea, [EVE] mother of the gods (cf.
iv. 76; Strabo 469), with Aphrodite, with Demeter, and with Artemis as the lady of the wild woods. But
here she is regarded as a foreign goddess.
She is the facilitator or organon a musical
instrument of Rhea (Eve, Zoe)
Deilos cowardly, vile,
worthless, lowborn, mean
“hē mousikē aei ti kainon thērion tiktei”
mousikê aei ti kainon thêrion
tiktei
A. Mousikos, musical, agônes m. kai gumnikoi
choroi te kai agônes ta mousika
music,
II. of persons, skilled in music,
kuknos [minstrel] kai alla zôia;
peri aulous - professional
musicians, mousikos
kai melôn poêtês, use with singing, skilled in
speaking before a mob. Melody,
B.
aei always
C. kainos , esp. of new
dramas, the representation of the new
tragedies, (Aphrodisias dedicated to Aphrodite
(ZOE); comedy, sexual love, pleasure, a
woman's form of oath, Aster or Venus
or ZOE Lucifer
D. Therion
E. Tikto mostly of
the mother of Rhea
one of the zoogonic or vivific principles
sunestiōmenon,
of woman
Sunesti^-aō
, A. help to entertain, AP4.3.24 (Agath.):—Pass.,
live or feast along with or together, Lys.Fr.53.2, Is.3.70, D.19.190,
etc.; [theois]
Plu.2.121f; “meta
tinōn”
IG22.1214
Russ Adcox part two Biblical Considerations
9-22-13, Maury Hills Church
Russ Adcox:
If you’re joining us for the first time
today or you just happened to miss last Sunday, I launched
a new series on Music & Worship. It’s a series that
deals specifically with why our leadership believes it’s
time to start offering both a cappella and instrumental
worship services at Maury Hills. I want to start by
saying thank you for your response to last week’s message. I
was very encouraged by the comments I received. Not all of
them were in agreement but all of them were kind and
gracious and sensitive to the way others felt about it.
That’s no surprise. I wouldn’t have expected anything
different from Maury Hills but I still appreciate it. The
comments were all across the board from “Yes, let’s go. I
can’t wait!” to “No, I’m not real comfortable with this
right now” and everything in between. That’s also not a
surprise. Maury Hills is a very diverse church so I was
expected a diverse reaction.
Jenny and I are helping plant a
new community group this Fall and the majority of the
people are new to Maury Hills. We’re not actually doing the
music study. We’re doing some material that Tim asks
new small groups to go through, but last week someone in the
group said, “Hey, before we start our study can ask a
question about the message this morning?” I said “Sure.”
“Well, I was just wondering, is this really a big deal?” I
thought he was joking so I laughed. He said, “No, no, I’m
being serious. I was raised Catholic and I’m really asking
is this a big deal?” Someone else spoke up and said “I was
wondering the same thing. I mean obviously it is if you’re
spending three weeks on it, but is really that big of an
issue?” You could see the same question on other faces but
there were three 3 people nodding “Yes, this is a really,
really big deal!” And I immediately knew who in the room grew
up Church of Christ and who didn’t.
It was really eye-opening because the
latter group was in the minority. Even though our sign
says “a church of Christ” we have folks here from all
sorts of different church backgrounds.
That's a false statement. The Pattern of folly was to Top
Load with elders and members who agreed with him. From the
beginning everyone knew the Russ Adcox agenda from his
divisive split of a church of Christ in Hohenwald. Churches
effective disfellowshipped Maury Hills. Russ made efforts to
court the Christian Churches and set out the hooks for anyone
ANTI Church of Christ: you can not be A Church of Christ and
use "machines for doing hard work mostly in making war and
creating the charismatic (Grace as erotic man-man favor) the
Bible and recorded history defines as SORCERY or Witchcraft
because it means "to make the lambs dumb before the
slaughter."
Russ Adcox: Sometimes
we do something in our 101 class I illustrate it like this.
I’ll ask you to participate with a simple show of hands. How
many of you grew up with Church of Christ as your
dominant church background? And how many of you grew up with
some other background (Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian,
Baptist, all of the above or none of the above) as your
background? That’s Maury Hills. We’re a diverse church and
it’s easy to forget that. People start thinking everyone
feels the same about this issue as me. They don’t. Some
folks wonder how in the world we hold it all together. It’s
simple. We major in the majors and don’t allow our
opinions on lesser issues to divide us. In other
words, we’re united in Christ despite any
differences of opinion on worship style. We’ll talk a lot
more about that next week.
That's wonderful:
since Russ Adcox has assumed the role of Authoratative
Teacher usurping the role of Jesus Christ, he does not
know and God HIDES the fact that The Church of Christ (the
Rock) in the wildernesss specificially outlawed "vocal or
instrumental rejoicing including Russ' form of
rhetoric. Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees,
Hypocrites by in Ezekiel 33 naming self speakers (sons of
the Devil says Jesus), singers and instrument players.
Russ Adcox: This
week I want to ask the second question in our series. Last
Sunday we asked “Why?” Why do our leaders feel it’s time to
start moving in this direction? I answered that from 1st
Cor 9:19-23 and Acts 15:19. If you missed it I’d
really encourage you to go back and pick it up on the
website.
Basically, we believe
that offering both a cappella
-
and instrumental services will help us
better reach our community.
- If you AFFIRM that God authorized anyone to IMPOSE
instrumental noise in the Assembly of Christ.
- And God did not give one that superior authority and in
fact God MARKED instruments as OF the World.
- Then the Spirit OF Christ in Jeremiah says that you
despise God which is BLASPHEMY of the Holy Spirit OF Christ
Who radically outlaws the always-pagan and always-gender
bent use of instruments and calls the performers SORCERERS
and promised that the instrumental sounds will be proof that
God is driving His enemies into "hell" See Isaiah
30.
It will certainly sift out the Bible literate members of the
Church of Christ who remember that of those who PRETEND to be
ministers of Christ that the GO into all the world and preach
the GOSPEL (of the kingdom of church). They are to baptize
those who gladly receive the Word and then teach them what
Jesus COMMANDED to be taught and observed. Jesus was
ordained to seek and save the LOST SPIRITS who are not OF the
World or Kosmos as Jesus was NOT OF the World.
A Christian is a Disciple of Christ: the power to save is in
the WORD, Logos or Regulative Principle. Humans can suck
in butterflies but they are not the lost spirits as pilgrims
and sojourners waiting for the SIGN as did the enuch at
Philips preaching Jesus from Isaiah.
Discĭpŭlus , i, m.
disco, and root of puer,
pupilla; cf. Sanscr.,
putras,
son; Gr.
pōlos; Engl.,
foal,
I. a learner,
scholar, pupil, disciple.
I. In gen.,
-Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 44
sq.;
Cic. Div. 1, 3, 6;
1, 23, 46;
id. N. D. 3, 7
et saep.—
Trop. Prov.: “
discipulus est prioris posterior dies,”
Pub.
Syr. 120 (Rib).—In the
fem.:
discĭpŭla , ae,
a
female scholar or
disciple: “
ego te dedam discipulam cruci,”
Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 20;
Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 147;
Hor. S. 1, 10, 91;
Vulg. Act. 9, 36 al.—Cf.
transf., of the nightingale,
Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 83.—Of
Latin eloquence: “
Latina facundia similis Graecae ac prorsus ejus discipula videtur,”
Quint. 12, 10, 27.—
—
Russ Adcox: This
week we drop back and ask the second question “Is Biblical?
Is it OK to do this?” Let’s open our Bibles.
Russ is never
going to OPEN the Bible: by education for a role which has
not God-given dole, he is going to quote the snippet which
says what he wants to say.
1Corinthians
9:16 For though I preach the gospel,
I have nothing to
glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is
unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I
have a reward:
but if
against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is
committed unto me.
1Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that,
when I preach the gospel,
I may make the
gospel of Christ without charge,
that I abuse
not my power in the gospel.
Paul commanded Timothy the evangelist to
WORK so that he could sponsor the agape or feeding
workers before they went to a day job. This verse
TERMINATES preachers who refuse to GO and preach what
Jesus commanded to be taught and observed. Russ
Adcox stands condemned. A SERVANT means that while the
Jew was working Paul would go out and be his
SERVANT. Being masculine he would not be caught
dead singing, clapping and picking a guitar to SERVE a
Jew.
False teachers were demanding that
believers be circumcised and keep the law of
Moses. Moses did not include 'instrumental
worship' but the Scribes and Pharisees are defined as
hypocrites meaning preachers, singers and instrument
players in Ezekiel 33
Acts 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is,
that we trouble not them,
which from among the
Gentiles are turned to God: [converted, baptised]
Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them,
that they abstain
from pollutions of idols, and from fornication,
and from things strangled, and from blood.
Men like
Timothy and the Gentiles were "wise unto salvatio"
because they attended the synagogue often to escape the
perverted, musical rituals "making the lambs DUMB before
the slaughter" to fleece them.
BECAUSE:
Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in
every city
them that PREACH
him, being READ in the synagogues every sabbath
day.
Russ Adcox stand condemned by his proof text: Jesus said that
God HIDES from the wise, sophists meaning rhetoricians,
singers, players, actors or dancers demanded of the MUSIC
concept.
First, I want you to go to the Old
Testament. In 2nd Chronicles we read about the ark being
brought in the temple and the dedication of the temple.
2nd Chr 5:12-13—12 All the Levites who
were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and
relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in
fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were
accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The
trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and
thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and
other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise
to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures
forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the
cloud,
2nd Chr 7:6—6 The priests took their positions,
as did the Levites with the LORD’s musical instruments,
which King David had made for praising the LORD and which
were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures
forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their
trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
Now skip over the Psalms. These were
the worship songs of Israel and over 25 of them contain
either references to instruments or instructions which
instruments should accompany the songs. For example, if you
look at Psalm 4 it says “with stringed instruments” and
Psalm 5 says “for flute accompaniment.” And here’s what a
couple of the Psalms say…
Psalms 33:1-3—1 Sing joyfully to the
LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise
him.2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on
the ten-stringed lyre.3 Sing to him a new song; play
skillfully, and shout for joy.
Pslams 92:1-3—1 It is good to praise
the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, 2
proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness
at night,3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the
melody of the harp.
Pslams 150:3-6—3 Praise him with the
sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,4
praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the
strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that
has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
I read all of that to show you that
instrumental music was a part of worship in the time of
Israel and it wasn’t just an aid to worship. It could also
be worship itself. We can praise him not only with our
voices but also with the music of instruments. The Old
Testament shows us (especially the Psalms) that God not only
allowed instrumental praise, he approved of it as well. The
argument against that is “Well, he didn’t actually approve
of it, he just tolerated it. God put up with it but he never
approved of it.” Be careful with that assumption because its
saying something the text never says. There’s never any hint
in the Old Testament that God was not pleased with music
that came from a sincere heart. The second argument against
it is “Yeah, but that’s Old Testament. There were lots of
things they did in Old Testament worship that don’t continue
in the New Testament.” Fair point.
Let’s go to the New Testament. Here’s
where we run into some issues. The New Testament doesn’t
have much to say about instruments. Jesus never addressed
the issue, the book of Acts (which contains the history of
the early church) never addressed the issue, the letters to
the churches do not address the issue. However, the New
Testament is not completely silent because instruments are
clearly mentioned on Revelation. Two examples…
Rev 5:8—8 And when he had taken it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell
down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were
holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers
of God’s people.
Rev 15:2-3—2 And I saw what looked
like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside
the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and
its image and over the number of its name. They held harps
given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses
and of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord
God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the
nations.
Again, God not only allowed the use of
instrumental praise but he approved of it. The argument
against this is “Well, that’s symbolic language. It’s not
meant to be taken literally. Besides, Revelation isn’t
addressing an worship assembly so it doesn’t apply.” The
point is that God approved of instrumental praise in the Old
Testament and he approves of it in the coming age so what
makes us think that he now disapproves of it during the time
in-between?
Of course, if you share the same heritage
as me right now you’re thinking, “I’ll tell you what makes
us think that. The Bible says it!
The New Testament letters do speak to the use of
instrumental music. Did you forget about those verses?” No,
I didn’t forget. The other night at community group there
was another group meeting at the building and I was walking
by them as they were doing this study.
They said “Hey what’s the verse that
folks use to refute music?” I quoted them without
hesitation—Eph 5:19, Col 3:16. Those are implanted right
here. If they would have asked me the verses that teach the
atonement of Christ I’d need a concordance, but I know right
where those music verses are located. Let’s take a look at
those.
I want to read both of them to you and
I want to challenge you to set aside your background. I know
this is really hard to do but try to hear them as a first
time hearer.
Col 3:16—16 Let the message of
Christ dwell among you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom through
psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God
with gratitude in your hearts.
Eph 5:19-20—19 speaking to one
another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the
Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What do those verses specifically
teach us about instrumental music in the assembly? Nothing.
They don’t even address the assembly. The context is
Christian living. However, even if they are about the
assembly they still tell us nothing in regards to
instruments. They tell us to sing in our hearts to God. That’s it. They neither
authorize nor condemn the use of instrumental music but both
sides have used them to prop up their arguments.
The pro-instrument folks say that tell
us to “sing psalms” and remember what we learned about the
psalms? Many of them are to be accompanied by
instruments so God is actually commanding instrumental
praise here. That’s a bit of stretch. It’s saying
something the text doesn’t say. It only commands us to sing
in our hearts. The anti-instrument people say “That’s right
and the only way you can do that is through a cappella
praise alone.” Sing means sing only. That’s a bit of stretch
as well. Again, you’re trying to say something that the text
doesn’t say. Then there’s this whole argument over the Greek
word “psallo” and whether it means to play an instrument or
to sing with the voice and the Greek lexicon gives both
definitions so both have some valid points. Of course, if
you don’t share my heritage abut right now you’re thinking
“Wow. I had no idea this issue was that involved.” Yep, and
I’m just scratching the surface.
Here’s the bottom line. These verses
say absolutely nothing about the use or non-use of
instruments in worship. If you read them, in context without
a particular interpretative grid, you would never reach the
conclusion of “It’s clear right there that God doesn’t want
music!” You wouldn’t reach that conclusion if you read the
entire Bible. If I handed a Bible to someone who’d never
read it and asked them to read it cover to cover then after
they were done I asked them “what did you learn?” They
wouldn’t say “Well, for one, I learned that God does not
approve of instrumental worship.” That’s not the point of
Scripture. They’d learn about Jesus, they’d learn about sin,
they’d learn about grace but music is a non-issue in
Scriptures. So how in the world did a non-issue because the
main issue in our fellowship?
I believe it’s because we’ve done
exactly the opposite of our old Restoration Movement motto.
“We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the
Bible is silent.”
Well, we’ve done a lot of arguing over
things God never said. One brother comes up and says “You
can’t show me anywhere in the Bible where God authorizes
instrumental music.” The other brother says “You can’t show
me anywhere in the Bible where God condemns music.”
And the argument goes round and round
in a circle while both brothers are right! How do you
interpret what someone never said? How should we understand
the silence of God? Is it always permissive or always
prohibitive? It’s neither. Those who say it’s always
permissive run the risk of adding all sorts of crazy things
to worship. We have to weigh these things against the whole
of Scripture and have a little common sense. But those who
say it’s always prohibitive can’t consistently apply that
principle. They do all sorts of things in worship that
aren’t specifically authorized in the New Testament. Again,
we have to weigh that against the whole of Scripture and use
a little common sense. It’s a decision left to individual
congregations and their leadership.
They may choose a cappella praise only
and that’s fine. But they shouldn’t impose it on others or
insist that on it as a condition of salvation or fellowship.
They may choose instrumental praise and that’s fine. But
they shouldn’t impose it on others or insist on it as a
condition of salvation or fellowship. Where the Bible is
silent we are silent. How can we judge one another based on
something God never said? And do we actually think God is
going to judge us based on something he never said? That’s
not the God I read about in the Bible. The absence or the
presence of instruments doesn’t make any difference. It’s
what happens in the heart. This is what it all comes down
too. This is God’s main concern. He makes that abundantly
clear in his Word. So I’ll end with this question. What if
that’s all he hears? What if God doesn’t hear the
instruments? He doesn’t even hear the voices? He just hears
the heart. What does our worship look like then? I hope we
don’t get so distracted by our opinions on music that we
forgot this core principle.
11.21.13
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